Train of conveyer-rolls.



No. 896,172. PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908. A. THOMAS.

TRAIN OF CONVEYER ROLLS.

\ 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.1, 1907.

No. 896,172. PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908.

' A. THOMAS. TRAIN 0F GONVEYER ROLLS.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1907.

, veyer rolls and ALPHONSE THOMAS, or OLABEOQ, BELGIUM.

TRAIN OF CONVEYER-ROLLS.

Patented Aug. 18, 1908.

application filed November 1, 1907,. Serial N 0. 400,266

No. 896,172. Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALPnoNsE THOMAS, a subject of the King of Belgium,residing at Clabocq, in the Kingdom of Bel 'ium, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Trains of Conveyor-Rolls, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to trains of con particularly to such as areemployed in rolling mills for conveying the bars. In known arrangementsof this kind the conveyer rolls are traversed b a shaft supported inbearings and driven directly by gears, connecting rods or the like. Thismethod of driving necessitates a, very considerable motive ower, a greatis absorbed'by t 1e friction of t e transmission parts; anotherdisadvantage consists in that-these parts wear rapidly and it is verydifficult to replace them.

The present invention has for its object to obviate these defects andconsists broadly in dis ensing with the shafts of the conveyer rol s andin transmitting the movement to these rolls by the intermediary ,ofrollers upon which the conveyer rolls rest; the transmission rollerswhich are provided with shafts mounted in suitable supports arecontrolled in any suitable manner and drive the conveyer rolls byfriction. The conveyer rolls in their turn drive the rollers on whichthey rest, this driving effort being augmented by the weight of theload, so that the driving of one pair of rollers is sufficient to driveseveral succeeding lplairs with the rolls which they support. us forexample a pair of mechanically driven rollers may be arranged inalternation with one or several pairs of undriven rollers, therebyconsiderably reducing the number of driving parts.

The conveyer rolls 'may be tubular and their diameters may vary at willwhile the absence of shafts eliminates the friction arising fromexpansion.

A construction in accordance with this invention in which the actuatingrollers are driven by means of gear wheels and connecting rods, and amodification in which gear wheels only are 'used, are shown by way ofexamples in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the first construction. Fig. 2 is a planview of same; Fig. 3 represents a cross section on the line AB'ofFig. 1. Fig. 4 re resents a cross section on the line C-D of ig. 1. Fig.5 is art of which a longitudinal section of the modified construction onthe line EF of Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a plan view of same. 1

In the drawings 1, 1 indicate the conveyer rolls arranged upon rollersmounted upon shafts supportedin bearings 4 fitted to su ports 5 or castinte ers 2 are merely i le driving rollers each of which is mounted on asmall separate shaft 3. In Figs. 1 to 4, the rollers 6 and 15 mountedln'pairs respectively on shafts 8 and 14 whichconnect the rollers ofeach pair, are driven mechanically and between two pairs of theserollers two pairs of idle rollers 2 are arranged.

The shafts 8 of the rollers 6 are provided at one extremity with bevelpinions 7 meshing with similar pinions 18 keyed u on the longitudinalshaft 9 actuated by t emotor 10. One of these shafts 8 carries at itsother end a crank. 11 which by the intermediary of con-- necting rods 12transmits the movement of rotation of the shaft 8 to cranks 13 keyedupon the shafts 14 of the rollers-15 Uprights 17 secured to the supports5 carry guides 16, setlving to guide the bars upon the conveyer ro s. IThe operation of the apparatus is as follows :The motor 10 drives the.shaft 9 and the pinions 18 which rotate the pinions 7 and the shafts 8of the rollers 6. The rollers 6 frictionally drive the rolls 1 whichthey sup-- port and these rolls drive the idle rollers 2 upon which theyalso rest; these rollers 2 cause rotation of the other rolls 1 whichrest upon them and so on m succession up to the rollers 15 to which therotation of the shaft 8 al therewith. The ro l-.

is transmitted directly by the connecting rods 12, which serve tosupplement the frictional driving and balance the distribution of themotive power on the two series of rollers.

The number of driven rollers relatively to the other rollers may beincreased or decreased according to circumstances and the driving may beeffected entirel by means of connecting rods or entirely through gears,chains, cables or the like.

In the construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6, one pair of rollers 6 onlyare driven mechanically, which frictionallydrive the whole set of rolls1 andthe idle rollers 2.

The rolls resting upon' the positively driven rollers 6 are-made heavierthan the following rolls, the weight of which decreases gradually inorder to increase the driving power of the first driven rolls.

Instead of driving the rollers mechanically,

it is obvious that the conveyer rolls might be driven directly.

What I claim and desire to secure by Let-' ters Patent of the UnitedStates is 1- 1. In a train of conveyer rolls the combination with aseries of conveyer rolls without axles of a series of rollers arrangedin pairs upon and between which these conveyer rolls rest freely andmeans for positively driving one of the pairs of rollers in such amanner that they drive by friction the conveyer rolls and the otherpairs of rollers.

2. In a train of'conveyer rolls the combination with a series ofsupporting rollers arranged in pairs and means for positively drivingone of the said pairs of ro lers, of a series of conveyer rolls restingfreely u on and between the said pairs of rollers, t e arrange mentbeing such that the supporting rollers and the conveyer rolls drive eachother by friction.

3. In a train of conveyer rolls the combination with a series of idlerollers arranged in airs, of a series of conveyer-rolls resting eelyupon and between the said pairs of idle rollers and means for positivelydriving one of the said conveyer rolls in such a manner that it drivesby friction the series of idle rollers and the undriven rolls. 4 4. In atrain of conveyer rolls the combination with a series of supportingrollers arranged in pairs, of a series of conveyer rolls resting freelyupon and between the said airs of rollers and means for ositivelydrivlng one of the said conveyer ro ls, the arrangement being such thatthe conveyer rolls and supporting rollers drive each other by friction.

5. In a train of conveyer rolls the combination with rollers arranged inpairs and means for mechanically driving one pair of said rollers, ofconveyer rolls of varying weight resting upon and between the said pairsof rollers, the rolls resting upon the mechanically driven rollers beingheavier than the followin rolls the weightof which decreases gradual y.

. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

H. T. E. KIRKPATRICK, GREGORY PHELAN.

